Top 10 Events of the Week (January 7, 2013)

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The New Year brings many top sporting events! With the conclusion of the 2012-2013 College Football season tonight and the NFL Playoff Divisional Round in the coming weekend, Football fans will either be glued to their televisions or attending one of the year’s biggest games.

It’s probably no surprise that tonight’s BCS National Championship Game is the No. 1 event of the week. The matchup features two teams that are rich in tradition; Notre Dame who is in its first National Championship in 24 years & Alabama who is looking to win its third in four years. The BCS Championship now has a get-in price of $946, down 45% from $1712 since Bowl Selection. The average price was just above $3,000 on the night of Bowl Selection; today averaging $711 (still double face value).

It’s the Los Angeles Lakers who kick out the New York Knicks for the No. 2 spot this week. Thursday, the Lakers will matchup against the Thunder who boasts the best record in the NBA at 26-7. The rematch of last year’s Western Conference Semi-Finals is averaging $478, $70 less than the average price at the beginning of the season. In fact, at the beginning of the season, this Thursday’s matchup was the fifth highest priced game of the NBA regular season (OKC being the third most expensive road team). Do you think the fall in price is contingent on Howard/Gasol’s injuries, the team’s losing record, or a combination of all three? Following Thursday’s game, the Lakers will see the Cleveland Cavaliers at home; a matchup with a much lower ticket – averaging $226.

As the No. 1 seed in the AFC, the Denver Broncos secured a first-round bye in last week’s Wild Card Round. Saturday’s playoff game will be the Broncos first this season and first with Peyton Manning; their opponent, the Baltimore Ravens. Baltimore is hoping to break Denver’s 11-game winning streak and make sure that the game will not be the end of Ray Lewis’s career. Many storylines for the most expensive Divisional Round game.

Our No. 4-6 spots are taken by NFL teams who have home field advantage in the Divisional Round this weekend. The fourth slot is held by the New England Patriots who will host the Houston Texans at home Sunday. Get-in price for the Patriots, Texans Divisional game is $128, just $24 more than their Week 14 matchup, a game in which New England blew out the Texans at home. Securing the No. 5 spot, the San Francisco 49ers who will take on the Green Bay Packers Saturday at Candlestick Park. Will the Niners send their opponent packing? It’s a rematch of Week 1 and the only Divisional Game that did not see a decrease in price since last week. And, the final Divisional matchup between the Atlanta Falcons and Seattle Seahawks comes in at No. 6. Get-in price is $72, lowest of any Divisional Round playoff game.

The New York Knicks take over the No. 7 this week with games at home against the Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls and New Orleans Hornets. Tonight’s matchup against the Celtics is this season’s first game between the Atlantic Division rivals; get-in price $160. The Knicks, currently second in the Eastern Conference regular season standings, rank higher than Chicago (currently fifth). However, the Bulls are coming off an impressive win over Miami last Friday. Average ticket at the Garden Friday for the Knicks, Bulls game, $476 (just under the avg. price of Lakers vs. OKC).

8-7-6. Our No. 8 spot goes to the 76ers who are currently fourth in the Eastern Conference standings, above Chicago. Philadelphia will host the Nets on Tuesday (avg. ticket $179) and the Rockets Saturday (avg. ticket $235). 76ers point guard, Jrue Holiday is gaining respect throughout the NBA and is even being considered as an All-Star selection this season. Do you see the 76ers jumping up to a higher spot in our Top 10 before the season ends?

The Sacramento Kings will host two top 10 NBA teams this week, facing Memphis tonight and Miami Saturday. Sandwiched between the two games, they’ll see Dallas Thursday. Although the Kings currently rank lower than all their opponents this week in the standings, they have won their last 4 at home as well as 4 of their last 6. The Kings find themselves in our No. 9 spot this week.

The final spot in our Top 10 belongs to the Brooklyn Nets who face the Phoenix Suns and Indiana Pacers later in the week (Friday and Sunday respectively) at Barclays Center. Sunday’s game against the Pacers is averaging slightly higher at $163 (compared to Friday’s $129).